SILLY PICTURE CONTEST!

So, here I am roaming through blogspot. . . and I have stumbled across some AWESOME blog sites!! Boy, I sure hope I can find my way back to all of them. I have so much to learn--and so little time!! I am slow with the computer stuff. . . but I am willing to stay up way past my bedtime to figure things out!! hahahaha!! (Plus, I taught a cycle class tonight. . .so I am all pumped up with energy and unable to sleep right now anyway.)

I found a silly picture contest hosted by andtherestishistory and thought I would use my energy to try and create an entry for it!! Now, my entry was not taken this week. . . I did pull it from the archives--which may disqualify me--but it doesn't really matter because I know it will put a smile on your face. It was taken almost exactly one year ago (boy time does fly!!) About two weeks later, my son was hospitalized with rotovirus. He was severly dehydrated and pretty much scared the craparoulies out of us because he was so so sick!! (Mom caught an adult version while in the hospital with Jakob so our room was pretty much TOXIC!!) Dad never got sick. The nurses appreciated our sense of humor, but we were happy to all be discharged two days later! So, whenever you need a good pick-me-up. . . come back to visit my little angel having fun cleaning windows!!

Time flies. . .

I had to create a ticker to put our time into perspective. Craig and I weren't originally going to start the second process of adoption until February of this year (2008). We did have an expectant mother approach us when she was only 4 weeks pregnant asking if we would adopt her child if she decided to place him--due in February, 2008. We knew she was going to choose to parent before we started our paperwork. . . but it prompted us to "just do it." So, we do consider these first three months as kind of a "freebie". I still have a very good relationship with this person and we have become pretty darn good friends. I am glad she is willing to let me be a part of her life. Her baby boy was born last Friday--early--by c-section and is a tiny peanut of 6 lbs. 1 oz. He is still in the hospital with some respiratory issues, but supposedly they are not serious. I am praying for a healthy recovery for all (and she is praying that we get chosen soon.) It is funny how people are brought into your life for very specific reasons. I do believe that it is divine intervention!! :0)

1/23/2008

My feeble attempt to make a cake--it's pretty lame looking--but it is the thought that counts, isn't it? I'm trying to take a picture of Jakob and Kaiti, while dad is keeping the candles away from him!!
Who needs plates anyway? Jakob did a good job of making me feel okay about the lame cake!

All those presents--and Jakob would rather play with a small piece of ripped paper!!

10:08 on 1/23/2008--Jakob's birth time and date. We are going to try to take one every year--as long as we can, anyway! :0)

Every moment seems to be an eternity while you are waiting to be chosen in the adoption process. The only time that doesn't stand still is watching your child grow once they come into your family. Our son turned two on 1/23/2008. We were fortunate to be able to spend some time with Kaiti (Jakob's birthmom) due to our lack of skill in planning and knack for last minute ideas! She had already made other plans, but was able to sneak over here for a few hours. I know that this day is very difficult for her. I know that it really really hurts. I simply cannot begin to imagine the depth of that pain and if that pain will ever go away. I do know that she doesn't think of herself as a strong person and that she is definitely not a hero--but I beg to differ.

Here's a definition straight from the Random House College Dictionary:
hero 1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

She has tremendous courage. Courage to get up and face each day--she could very easily give in to her feelings of sadness, anger, fear, and doubt and just give up. She has the courage to share her story--with tremendous pride--even though it may hurt--in the hopes of helping others. She has the courage to find happiness in amongst all these confusing days. She has the courage to move forward with life and face it head on--open to new things and change to better her life. She has the courage to talk to US about it.

I have never felt so honored in my life--to have Kaiti--want to tell me about her life, about herself, about her successes, and about her failures. For all of that, she is admired for her brave deeds and noble qualities and definitely worthy of being titled a hero.

And then she comes over with a Willow Tree figurine for us--titled Hero. So thought out--basically saying that we are her heros. Open for interpretation, I guess, as I wonder how that could really be--us being heros in her eyes.

I know now how much pressure one feels to be perfect--to live up to those expectations or interpretations of what we think being a hero is. I don't expect Kaiti to be perfect, I love her just as she is--that is part of the reason why I see her as our hero--it takes great courage to face one's own imperfections. I hope everyone remembers that. We don't need to be perfect to shine in this world--we don't need to be perfect to be loved, we don't even need to be perfect to be looked upon as a hero. (Lord knows I've made many mistakes along the way!)

She is one of the lights in my heart and I'm going to let it shine!!

Sense of Style

Apparently I was destined for a new pair of glasses or it was just my son's way of telling me that my sense of style sucks. He brought them right to daddy right after destroying them--who in turn came running downstairs into the laundry room to tell me the news. I secretly think that daddy accidently destroyed them somehow by maybe stepping on them or something and then used Jakob as a cover. To be honest, I couldn't even remember where I had last placed them (which was apparently within "the destroyer's" reach.) Oh well, I was kind of wanting a new pair, but it wasn't in the budget--but now it has to be. I am the master of fixing things--but these are just beyond hope. I hate trying to pick out glasses--it should be interesting with Jakob there. I told the receptionist that there is a small possibility that we may just have to leave. Hopefully we can at least get the eye appointment part done and I can always go back another time to pick out the glasses. Until then, I will be seeing the world just a bit differently!

Shower shoes?

About six years ago, I met with some friends before Christmas at Starbucks. I was new to Starbucks--not being a coffee drinker. . . and had no idea what to order. I decided to try a White Chocolate Mocha--Venti, of course. MMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm! It was so good! We sat and chatted for a couple of hours and then departed on our ways. I had some Christmas shopping to do, so I ventured to the mall.
I didn't pay much attention to what went into that VENTI White Chocolate Mocha. Not realizing that the main ingredient was of all things. . . . MILK! While shopping in JCPenny, I realized that I was not feeling well and it was probably from my drink at Starbucks. All I could think of is that the bathrooms are always impossible to find at JCPenny and if I didn't find one NOW--there could be some major trouble. The sweat was starting to pour down my forehead. . .I was a hurtin' unit!! I looked up and there the sign was. . . .

7 RESTROOMS 7

Thank you Lord!

I was saved--and very happy that nobody else was in there!

So you may be wondering what my point is. Realizing some of the things we just take for granted in life. With having pets and a son who will be turning two on Jan. 23rd. . .I do consider myself an expert on poop! haha Been there, done that, seen just about everything and even experienced ROTO VIRUS. If you don't know what that is--pray that your baby will never get it!

If you are weak in the stomach. . . you may not want to continue. . . this is a true story!!

Last night after my spinning class, a friend and I were going to go shower in the locker room. She forgot her shower shoes and I was harrassing her that she would be just fine for one day--just put a towel down in the shower and tip toe back to your locker when you are done. And she went for it. We did our usual business getting ready. We were dressed and in need of a couple of Q-tips and cotton balls--available by the sinks--as I was on my way, I hear this "Oh No. . . . ", like a painful moaning and this atrocious odor. (My son had some puking virus on Sunday so I just assumed somebody was probably throwing up--nothing new in my book.) Then I look down and see a LONG trail of. . . yes. . .diarrhea. . . on the floor right into the bathroom stall. At that very moment, I was thankful that the floor is always wet, forcing you to put your shoes on before you walk anywhere or your socks will get all wet. "Oh my", I say, in a very kind and gentle tone. Asking whomever was in there if they were okay. She sounded completely humiliated--saying she was so sorry she made such a mess--that she was on some new meds and "it" just came shooting out of her. She said she needed the cleaning lady. The locker room attendant was right around the corner and I asked her to get some help for clean-up while I got some towels for the lady and helped her feel more at ease. This locker room attendant. . . either ready to graduate from highschool--or possibly in college (the older I get, the younger people look)--got right up and said, "Oh, I can do it", and cleaned up the entire mess herself--with no gagging, no snide comments, and with complete respect for this woman's embarrassment.

The lady thanked me profusely for all my help--embarrassed the whole time. I told her not to worry about it. I caught myself before saying, "Sh*t happens", thinking it might embarrass her more. Remembering exactly how I felt about six years ago in JCPenny--needing a bathroom right then--I just said, "I know what it feels like to not feel good". I have to admit that I gagged a couple of times, but the lady didn't see me, so I am thankful. I would hate for her to have felt any more humiliated than she already did.

So what did I learn from all of this?

~That most of us take for granted that we don't have to worry about a bowel movement "shooting right out of us" at any given moment when we are out and about trying to live our lives. Imagine having to worry about that. . . how it would inconvenience and possibly even dictate your life.

~That even though a great portion of our society feels there is no hope for our up and coming generations. . . there are many outstanding young individuals out there that will simply amaze you!!

~AND FINALLY, that you should NEVER, EVER forget your shower shoes!

LIFE IS GRAND!

Life is really how you perceive it to be. I mean, really, my life is anything but simple and certainly far from perfect. . . but I can honestly say that there is nothing that I would change about it.

Some people say they think my life is about as "complicated" as they could imagine things being. See, we have adopted our son, Jakob, and have an open relationship with his birthmother and her family, friends and pretty much anyone that is important to her. AND, we are currently waiting "in the book" at Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota to be "chosen" by an expectant family to adopt again.

For those who don't completely understand open adoption--I can sum it all up as a lifestyle choice. So, in comparison to what others "choose" to do with their life, we are no different. Open adoption is the lifestyle that we choose to live. If you want to lose weight and be healthy. . . you have to make changes in your life. You have to commit to eat healthy and exercise to reach your goals and continue with that lifestyle for the rest of your life to keep the weight off and remain healthy. There are good days and bad days, easy days and challenging days, tired days and energetic days, days where you feel you have done everything wrong and days where you feel on top of the world, days where you feel you have let the most important people in your life down and days where you promise yourself to make things right, days when you feel so loved that there is nothing better and days where you wonder how you can feel so betrayed.

So everyone experiences the ups and downs of life--it is all relevant, after all--but I could not ask for anything more perfect than my own simple journey! The good, the bad, the happy and the sad--I WANT IT ALL!!